35
QUEENSLAND’S LARGEST CLUB
OCT/NOV 2014 THE ROAD AHEAD
IMAGES: THE BREATHTAKING BUNGLE BUNGLES (MAIN); MIRI MIRI FALLS AT EL QUESTRO STATION NEAR KUNUNARRA (TOP); AND CAMEL RIDING AT
SUNSET ON BROOME’S CABLE BEACH.
for Cable Beach, where hundreds of tourists ride camels into
the sunset each evening. But it began life as a pearling town
–
the old Chinatown area and the largest Japanese cemetery
in Australia are legacies of the industry’s halcyon days. Take
a guided tour of the museum and taste pearl meat at Pearl
Luggers; visit a working pearl farm; cruise on a restored
pearling lugger as the sun dips over the western horizon;
and try not to break your credit card at the many pearl
jewellery showrooms.
Broome is also the stepping-off point for the Dampier
Peninsula and Buccaneer Archipelago. The area has beautiful
beaches and huge tidal ranges of up to 12 metres, creating
such phenomena as the Horizontal Waterfalls in Talbot
Bay, where the tide gushes through a narrow cliff passage
creating what David Attenborough has described as “one of
the greatest natural wonders of the world”.
The eastern gateway of Kununurra is a much more modern
affair – the town was built in the early 1960s to serve the Ord
River Irrigation Project that created Lake Argyle, one of the
largest man-made bodies of water in the world. It is also the
heart of Durack country – their history is immortalised in the
Australian classic, Kings in Grass Castles by Mary Durack,
and you can visit Argyle Homestead Museum on the edge
of the lake. It’s a 70km drive from town, or get there the fun
way on a half-day Ord River cruise.
In between are more than a thousand kilometres of
spectacular and utterly unforgettable country. The Kimberley
really is one of the world’s last wild places.
SAVANNAH WAY: The Great Northern Highway, also known
as the Savannah Way, is a fully sealed route between Broome
and Kununurra, via Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek. If
you’re towing a caravan or driving a conventional 2WD,
this is the best option. Highlights include boat cruises on
Geikie Gorge and the Warmun Art Centre. If you have a 4WD
you can take a side trip out to Purnululu National Park (the
Bungle Bungles) or see them from above on a scenic flight.
4WD ADVENTURE: The Gibb River Road is one of Australia’s
iconic 4WD tracks, and many of the Kimberley’s best
attractions are on it. Highlights include Windjana Gorge
with its hundreds of resident freshwater crocodiles and
Tunnel Creek, a cave used as a hideout by Aboriginal leader
Jandamarra. Bell, Galvan’s and Manning gorges all have
beautiful waterfalls and great swimming. Bump your way
along the endless corrugations of the Kalumburu Road
to Mitchell Falls. Cattle stations such as Charnley River,
Mornington and Mt Elizabeth offer camping and self-drive
tours to uncrowded gorges, many with spectacular rock art
galleries. For a real 4WD adventure, tackle the rocky jump-
ups on the 220km Munja Track, a private track across Mt
Elizabeth Station to the coast. Home Valley and El Questro
offer a range of accommodation options, from camping to
five-star digs. Roads are impassable November to April.
CRUISE: Take the luxury option and cruise the coastal
waters north of Broome, visiting rock art galleries that are
inaccessible by land, flying above waterfalls and gorges in
your own private helicopter. See www.kimberleycruises.
com for details.
More information: Broome is 2220km north of
Perth. Kununurra is 827km west of Darwin. www.
westernaustralia.com; www.australiasnorthwest.com
More information: Broome is 2220km north of
Perth. Kununurra is 827km west of Darwin.
westernaustralia.com; www.australiasnorthwest.com
Spend 11 days on an RACQ-
escorted Untamed Kimberley
holiday with AAT Kings, from just
$3,999pp twin share, including
a wildlife cruise and the
El Questro Wilderness Park.
For more details, contact
RACQ travel on 1300 188 713.
OFFERRACQTRAVEL
THREE WAYS TO EXPLORE THE KIMBERLEY
DEPARTURE NATIONAL | TRAVEL
LEE ATKINSON IS
THE AUTHOR OF THE
RECENTLY RELEASED
DRIVING HOLIDAYS
AROUND AUSTRALIA,
WHICH HAS MAPS AND
INFORMATION ON 40 OF
THE BEST ROAD TRIPS
AROUND THE COUNTRY,
INCLUDING THE
KIMBERLEY. PUBLISHED
BY EXPLORE AUSTRALIA.
(RRP: $39.95)
Elizabeth Station to the coast. Home Valley and El Questro
77373 RA OCT NOV 2014 26-43 Travel.indd 35
19/09/14 12:10 PM